When December Ends
by AirRush
Summary: "That was the day red spilled on Green and White." Percy Jackson, school loser, witnesses the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14th. Annabeth Chase, beautiful popular girl, helps Percy through the struggles of PTSD and loosing his beloved brother. Dedicated to the Sandy Hook tragedy. (AU)
1. Green and White

**When December Ends**

**1**

**Disclaimer- I don't own PJO **

**A/N- This is a tribute to the Sandy Hook tragedy that happened on December 14th. I don't take this event lightly or in fact any school shooting/tragedy. This is a dedication for my friend whose cousin was in Sandy Hook at the time. **

It was December and the school was in tears. Last friday, at the elementary school that was in the neighboring district, a man broke in. He shot 20 children and 6 adults. Everyone was devastated, but luckily no one's siblings went there because it wasn't in our district but it was still awful.

An assembly was taking place and many students were piling in the gym. I sat in the bleachers with my fellow Sophomores. Next to me was my best friend, Thalia Grace, and her brother Jason Grace. I was already tearing up before the assembly even started.

It was a high expectation, but I was expecting Thalia to cry. You see, with her punk clothes and hair comes a punk personality. She isn't too emotional and isn't a crier. However, she was very effected by the whole school incident. Thalia hadn't cried yet but I knew it was coming.

Jason was pretty much the opposite of Thalia. He played football but he wasn't a jock. Actually, he was like a dictator when it came to his grades. He hated getting a 'B' or lower on any assignment. Unlike Thalia, he was a pretty sensitive guy. He could cry at sad pictures of puppies.

Anyway, I'm getting off topic. I fiddled with my thumbs while the last of the school piled in the gym. The lights dimmed and a single spotlight was shinned in the center of the stage, where an Asian man stood. His eyes were red and he held a piece of paper in his trembling hands.

"Hello," he spoke into a hand-held microphone. "I am Mr. Quinn, principal of Sandy Hook Elementary. There are no words to describe the horror of the tragic shooting on December 14th."

"I would like to hold a special moment of silence for the 26 people who lost their lives," he continued.

He hung his head in silence and everyone else followed. Jason, Thalia, and I bowed our heads and stayed silent. I stared bluntly at the blonde ends of my curly mess of hair. Time seemed to go so slowly. It felt like hours before he gently spoke in the microphone.

"Okay," he said. "Today, we are remembering the tragedy that occurred at the elementary school. Today, all of you will understand the true and utter horror."

He continued the assembly with a video that showed 9-1-1 phone calls and clips from the news. There were interviews with parents who were desperately sobbing and gripping their children. Throughout the video, I could hear many different sniffles and choked back sobs through the crowd.

I was on the verge of tears myself. I bit my bottom lip, trying to keep them back. I felt shuddering next to me and saw Thalia shaking with tears pooling down her cheeks. I couldn't help it after that. I let out all my sadness and wrapped my arms around my best friend.

When the video ended, there was constant sniffling and every Sophmore was pretty much in tears. It was very hard to see all of this. To see all the people screaming, the interviews, and the children. The children who survived and were sobbing, gripping their parent's shirts.

I wiped my eyes on my sweater sleeve. The spotlight returned on the stage and Mr. Quinn returned to the stage. He was trying not to cry and I didn't blame him. How would I react if a man broke into my school and murdered innocent lives? I'd feel utterly terrible. Any one in their right mind would.

It was very scary when I thought about it. It could've been us. That man could've come to Goode High just as easily. We were both near the edge of the counties. Really, Sandy Hook Elementary was only a couple blocks away. I wished it had been us. Just saying that bluntly sounds crazy and strange but it could've gone differently. We were in high school, we had lived much longer than just little kids. Kids who never deserved anything bad. These were kids who could've been doctors, lawyers, or could've made a differences in the world. But no, that was taken from them.

"Now," Mr. Quinn said once he gained his composure. "I would like to welcome a young man who was actually in the school at the time. Welcome Percy Jackson singing his original song, Green and White."

I tilted my head as a grand piano was rolled out onto the stage. Mr. Quinn stretched out his arms to someone who was in the darkness. Soon, a boy met his embrace and they gave a quick hug. I didn't know who Percy Jackson was, and I didn't even know he went to our school. His hair was jet black and his sea green eyes were puffy. I felt a twinge of sympathy strike my heart as I looked at his leg.

His entire leg was strapped in a brace. He walked with an uncomfortable limp and I almost gasped out. He was in the shooting. He was wounded. I was confused though. Why would he be at the Elementary school? If he went to Goode, how would he be at Sandy Hook?

I heard Thalia gasp and choke back a sob next to me. I looked over to her and her head was buried in her hands. She was shaking with cries and I rubbed soothing circles in her back. To me, it seemed as if she knew this Percy Jackson fellow.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard the sound of piano. Percy Jackson was seated on the black stool. His right leg, the braced one, was sticking out to the side. His hands danced on the keys in a slow and depressing fashion. The melody was breath-taking and I was starting to cry all over again.

When his mouth leaned towards the microphone, that was propped on a stand, my heart stopped.

_"I hugged you tight_

_Kissed you goodbye_

_And walked you to the door_

_I watched you walk away_

_For school that day_

_Like any day before_

_If i had known it then_

_All that would happen_

_You'd be with me now_

_If i could go back and change it somehow_

_Well i got the call_

_That changed it all_

_And rushed to the scene_

_To the terror there_

_Everyone so scared_

_But i kept on waiting_

_Faded hope burnt out_

_In the time i found_

_You weren't coming back_

_And i'd never hold your little hand_

_Nothing will ever be the same again_

_Inside that small elementary school_

_It's official colors were changed all too soon_

_And they couldn't stop it although they did try_

_And that was the day red spilled on green and white_

_That was the day red spilled on green and white_

_Now candles are lit_

_And flowers sit_

_Where love used to be_

_Recovery's thin_

_And grief fills in_

_All the holes gouged in me_

_I would do anything_

_To feel your heart beat_

_At least one more time_

_And tell you it will be alright_

_The friday your life slipped from mine_

_Inside that small elementary school_

_Their official colors were changed all too soon_

_And they couldn't stop it although they did try_

_And that was the day red spilled on green and white_

_That was the day red spilled on green and white_

_And it's almost christmas_

_It's that time of year_

_But it doesn't mean anything without you here_

_And though the pain cuts so deep_

_Now that you're gone_

_Your spirit forever lives on_

_I can feel it right here in my heart_

_In my heart..._

_Oh..._

_Inside that small elementary school_

_Their official colors were changed all too soon_

_And they couldn't stop it although they did try_

_And that was the day red spilled on green and white_

_They couldn't stop it although they did try_

_And that was the day red spilled on green and white_

_That was the day red spilled on green and white…"_

Everyone was in tears. His voice was utterly amazing and he put so much emotion in his song. I could see several tears drip down his face as he sung. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed him before.

Ms. Dodds, my algebra teacher, began pacing by the bleachers, handing students tissues who needed them. I took one and blew my nose into it. Soft cried echoed through the gym as Percy limped away from the piano. My heart was aching and I felt awful. This kid put so much emotion into the song.

Part of me wondered what seeing that had done to him. No child, even a teenage, should have to see anything that evil and horrible. I buried my head in my hands and I felt Thalia and Jason wrap their arms around me. We all just cried, and cried, and cried. We hadn't known anyone in the shooting, but this was so horrible. These children didn't deserve this and neither did that Percy Jackson.

I didn't notice when Mr. Quinn dismissed the assembly and the gym lights flickered on. I was so happy that school was being dismissed early that day, because I'd just be a floppy sack of depressed noodles.

"Annabeth," I heard Jason call. "Come on the assembly ended."

I lifted my head from my hands and I stood up with Thalia. The three of us exited the gym and all the girls were still sobbing. The guys were putting on their brave face due to stupid pride but some were actually crying, as well was Jason.

"That was horrible," I said, walking down the hall with my friends.

"Tell me about it," Jason replied, rubbing his eyes.

"Do either of you know that Percy Jackson?" I couldn't help but ask.

I could see Thalia pale but Jason just nodded. "Yeah," he said. "He's a Sophomore…that's about it."

"Oh…" I sighed and we turned into the lunch room. The assembly took up a pretty big portion of the morning and after lunch, we were allowed to leave school.

We sat down at a long lunch table that was bursting with activity. Lots of the people were chit-chatting about the assembly. All I cared about was that it was Friday. I could go home, bury myself in sheets, and wallow in depression all weekend.

As I ate my sandwich, I lapsed into thought. It seemed as if no one cared about this. Yeah, people cried and talked about it but I could hear many of the conversations shift to something as idiotic as makeup or who has the bigger bra-size. I couldn't stop thinking about Percy Jackson. His voice was amazing and he seemed to pained.

I scanned my eyes across the busting lunch room. At first, I saw nothing but my eyes were drawn to the far left corner. A lone circular table was tucked away in the corner and there he was. Percy Jackson sat there, his leg propped on a chair and he ate alone.

I frowned and glanced up to Jason. "Hey, Jase. Percy Jackson is at that back table." I motioned to Percy and Jason looked back.

"Oh wow," he said. "Should we go sit with him?"

"Why?" Thalia interrupted, chewing on a piece of jerky. "I mean… It's best we leave him alone. I would want to be alone after something so traumatic."

"Yeah but you're you." I retorted.

"It doesn't matter," she said, sipping her Diet Coke. "Any one in their right mind would want to be alone."

"I wouldn't." I said.

"Well, I said anyone in their right mind, didn't I?" Thalia said with sarcasm in her voice.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. I glanced over to Jason and back to Percy. He was twirling a black ball point in his hand and he was staring at his untouched tray of food. His dark teal hoodie complemented his striking eyes and his black converse made him look like the typical teenager.

Behind his eyes were pain. Pain beyond my wildest nightmares. They were haunted and damaged. It amazed me by how much I could learn from just a pair of eyes.

His eyes.

His head snapped up, gazing at me. He found my stare but I didn't look away. Usually, I would just blush and fluster back to my friends but this time, I kept the eye contact. His lips stayed relaxed into his natural frown and I sighed.

It was like I could feel him channeling his internal pain. He was trying to reach out. From the looks of it, he was very unpopular. Heck, I haven't even seen him before. He must've been trained to keep a low profile or something.

My gaze was forced to move when Jason jerked my shoulder. "Hey! Watch it Grace." I snapped.

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "Sorry," he muttered. "Just trying to connect you with earth."

Thalia snorted as she started to laugh. It was a funny thing that happened when she laughed and it had always made me laugh. But this time, there was no laughter in return. This earned me a confused gaze from Thalia.

"How can I laugh on a day like this?" I sighed and they nodded, understanding what I meant.

I frowned to myself and picked at my half eaten sandwich. Throughout the rest of lunch and up to the bell, I thought of one person.

Percy Jackson.

**There it is! By the way, as I stated earlier, this is a dedication to my friend. She loves PJO and she wanted me to write this. I know the start was a bit rushed and there wasn't much on the actual shooting but there will be once Annabeth and Percy get talking! Thanks for reading! Song- Green and White by The CommandSisters**


	2. Finding Him

**When December Ends**

**2**

**Disclaimer- I don't own PJO**

**A/N- This is a tribute to the Sandy Hook tragedy that happened on December 14th. I don't take this event lightly or any school shooting/tragedy. This is a dedication for my friend whose cousin was in Sandy Hook at the time. **

Let's just say that my weekend wasn't the most enjoyable. I had done what I expected: Curl up in bed and sulk. On top of that, my step-mom got all teary too. She tried hugging me and she was so upset. I don't _hate_ my step-mom but she isn't my favorite. I mean, she's pretty nice and makes good food but I still never got along with her.

Now it was 7:45 and I was leaving for school. I usually walked because I lived only two blocks down and it gave me time to think. I grabbed my black and white striped backpack and flung it over my shoulder. I snagged a piece of toast from the toaster and went for the door.

"Have a good day, Sweetie!" My step-mom yelled after me.

"Yeah, Yeah." I muttered before rushing out to the sidewalk.

Honestly, the only thing I was actually looking forward too was to see Percy Jackson. You see, I thought about him a lot over the weekend and I actually searched for any news clips that he might've been in. I know that sounds stalker-ish, but I was genuinely interested. I didn't find much other than a kid who had died in the shooting. His name was Tyson Jackson. At first, I thought that it might've been Percy's brother. But then I realized that Sandy Hook was out of district. Also, he looked nothing like Percy.

However, I knew it was wrong to jump to assumptions. I didn't know Percy. I didn't know why he had been at the school. But I planned on chaining that.

"HEY!"

I almost jumped out of my skin when there was a yell behind me. I spun on my heel to see Thalia and Jason running up. I slowed down so they could catch up.

"Hey," I greeted. "Whats got you two running late?"

"Thals wouldn't get up," Jason said. "Making a whole- Ouch!"

Thalia had punched him right in the arm. "Don't call me Thals."

I couldn't help but laugh. We kept on walking, chatting about random things. Thalia seemed quite normal wearing her favorite Green-Day shirt, skinny jeans, and her hair spiked up in all directions. She didn't seem strange like when I had mentioned Percy Jackson earlier. That was what really concerned me. When I mentioned Jackson at all yesterday, she'd either pale or try to change the subject.

"Hey guys," I started as we approached the school. "I'll meet up with you in History."

With that, I scurried off to the front doors. The school's hallways were crowded and busting with activity. I maneuvered my way through the sea of students. Honestly, I wasn't too sure what I was doing but I had a feeling. I found my way at the library and I ran in. My heart almost stopped.

Percy Jackson was sitting at a table. He was twisting the same pen he had been on Friday. He looked to be deep in thought before situating in his sea and dragging the pen along a piece of paper. His strokes were long and choppy and I realized he was drawing something. I wasn't sure if I wanted to interrupt him but I did anyway.

I walked over to his table and sat down across from him. I was careful to avoid his leg that was sticking out underneath the table. His head darted up to meet my eyes. My breath caught in my throat. He was so stunning up close. His eyes, still haunted, looked even more green. His features were flawless.

I didn't realize I was staring until he talked. "Uh, You okay?"

I shook my head and I felt my face burn up. I was blushing! Crud! I scolded myself and turned back to him.

"Yeah, Sorry." I murmured. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"What about?" He asked, putting the pen down.

I peeked slightly at the notebook that he had been drawing in. On the page was a drawing of a beach setting. The sun was coming down on the horizon and someone was sitting on the sand. It was an amazing drawing, especially if it was just drawn in ballpoint pen.

"Nice drawing," I commented without thinking.

"Thanks," he muttered without a smile.

"Listen, do you mind if I sit with you at lunch?" I asked, messing with my hair that was pulled back in a pony tail.

"Uh, sure." He said before closing his notebook and grabbing his backpack.

"I'm Annabeth, by the way." I said, standing up with him.

"Percy Jackson," He said, stretching out his hand.

"Yeah, I know." I muttered before shaking his hand.

He nodded in recognition and gathered his stuff. Without another word, he limped out of the library. I sighed and tightened my pony tail. I got up to leave when the bell rang but I looked back at the table. Sitting on it's top was a black composition book. It was Percy's. I backed up to the table and grabbed it. It wasn't like I was going to read it or anything…

* * *

It was third period, History. Mr. Jones, our teacher, assigned us to do pages 59-64 in our workbooks. I was currently on page 62 and the questions were so easy. Everyone was chatting to their neighbors except for me. Thalia and Jason were seated in the front of the room and I was in the middle left. I never got to talk to them during that class. I didn't look up from my work when the door opened. I figured it was another trouble maker, late again.

When I heard the voice though, I glanced up.

"Ah, You must be Percy Jackson," Mr. Jones said. "Do you have your note?"

Percy just nodded and handed him a purple slip. I recognized it as a class change note. My heart stopped for what felt like the 30th time. Mr. Jones took the slip and motioned to a table. To my surprise, the seat he was motioning to was the empty desk right next to me. I smiled at him as he limped to the seat. He didn't smile back.

"Hey," I said.

His head snapped to me, making his floppy black hair fall in his eyes. Gosh, I just wanted to run my hands through it. Is that weird? Oh well.

"Oh," he whispered. "Hi."

I couldn't help but smile. He was so cute and shy. What can I say? I was a sucker for that stuff. He shrugged his shoulders and pulled out a textbook from his backpack. It was torn on the bottom and had scuff marks all over it. It must've been old.

He started to write on a sheet of clean paper. He looked over to the book and he squinted. Rubbing his eyes, Percy kept staring at the book. It looked like he was having difficulty reading. I tilted my head to the side and tapped his shoulder. He turned to me.

"Having trouble?"

"Uh," he whispered. "Yeah. I'm dyslexic."

I could almost hear my heart break in two. Not only was he super shy, an outcast, and a witness to a horrible school shooting. But he was dyslexic too. Didn't this guy get a break.

"Oh," I said. "That's terrible."

"Yeah…" he mumbled.

I averted my attention back to my work and finished up. I closed my book and glanced up at the clock. It was five minutes until class ended. I looked over to Percy and saw him not making much progress. I frowned.

I opened my mouth to say something but was interrupted by the bell. It blare through the school and my classmates all rushed out. Thalia and Jason waited for me by the door. However, instead of rushing out like I usually would've done. I helped Percy get his backpack together and I moved a desk over so he could get up easier. He flashed me a weak smile. I found myself at loss for breath. It was the first time I saw him smile and it made my heart flutter. Even though it was half—hearted, it was probably the cutest and most dazzling smile I've seen.

I handed him his backpack and i walked with him out of the classroom. Percy threw a glance at Thalia who just buried her face into her arm, pretending to sneeze. Jason greeted him with a smile but Percy just nodded. With a last glance at Thalia, he limped down the hall to his next class.

I glared at Thalia who was shifting on her feet and Jason looked confused as well.

"What was that all about?" Jason asked.

"Forget it," Thalia excused, going to walk away.

"Nu-uh, you tell me now," I ordered. "Something is going on."

"It's nothing!"

"Thalia Rose Grace!" I barked. "Tell me right now."

I kept a firm grip on her arm to prevent her from running away. She sneered at the use of her full name.

"Tell. Me. Now." I ordered. Jason crossed his arms as if to prove the urgency.

"Fine," Thalia sneered. She ripped her arm out of my grip. "Percy's my cousin."

**Done! I know its short, but I didn't have much time to right it and I wanted to get it up! Wow, this story kind of blew up! Thats probably the most reviews I've gotten in one night! Thanks to all of you and here are responses to the reviews-**

**DragonClan- Thanks :) and I love your name 3**

**Son of Erebus god of Shadows- I didn't do it on purpose xD But I do love Kellin Quinn! **

**Yukibrooke- Aw, I'm sorry you cried and thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


	3. Helping Hand

**When December Ends **

**3**

**Disclaimer- I don't own PJO**

**A/N- This is a tribute to the Sandy Hook tragedy that happened on December 14th. I don't take this event lightly or any school shooting/tragedy. This is a dedication for my friend whose cousin was in Sandy Hook at the time. **

Thalia was Percy's cousin? Percy was Thalia's cousin? I knew Thalia for years, and not once have I heard of a cousin. Sure, I've heard of and met Nico Di' Angelo. Nico was a year younger than us and was a freshmen. We hung out with him at lunch.

However, she never said she had any other cousins. I was shocked. Not only by the fact that Percy was Thalia's cousin, but the fact that Jason had no idea.

Thalia and Jason were brother and sister. But when Thalia said that Percy was her cousin, Jason was shocked. Jason had no idea about Percy. I wondered how Thalia seemed to know and why she avoided Percy. She never mentioned him and when I suggested to go sit with him, she immediately refused.

"Why didn't I know this?" Jason snarled.

"I'm sorry, Jason," Thalia apologized. "It was a supposed to be a secret."

"Why?" I questioned, crossing my arms.

"Because my dad and his dad didn't exactly agree. Poseidon went missing when Percy was born and Zeus agreed to not have any connection with them. He didn't care," Thalia explained.

I was shocked. Percy's dad went missing? Why didn't Mr. Grace care? I've met Thalia's dad many times and he was so nice. Intimidating, yes. Mean, no. He was pretty cool. Mr. Grace could be uptight but he was never mean or unjustified.

"Why didn't you ever tell me? I'm your brother!" Jason yelled.

"Because, Dad made me swear not to tell!" Thalia retaliated.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "So," I stated. " You leave him in the dust and ignore him completely even though he's in your blood?"

"If you say it like that, it sounds so bad!" Thalia groaned.

"That's because it kind of is," I said.

Thalia sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I feel awful." She muttered.

"Thalia," I said and she looked up. "Does Percy have a brother?"

Thalia just paled, tears threatening to spill out. She shook her head frantically and tried to bite back sobs that were caught in her throat.

"Thalia, what is it?" asked Jason.

"Tyson," she choked out. "His name was Tyson."

I felt my heart shatter. Tyson Jackson, a victim of the Sandy Hook shooting. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. This was so wrong. So bad. Percy. His brother was in the school? That's impossible! Or was it?

"His brother… Oh god," I muttered out loud.

"Yeah," Thalia said. She had known about Tyson.

I thought back to the song he sang on Friday. 'Green and White' it was called. I finally realized the point of view. He was singing to his brother. The world seemed to crash on me like a tidal wave. I couldn't help the single tear that pooled on my cheek.

That's why he never smiled. That's why his eyes were haunted seas of green. Jason patted Thalia on the back who was now crying. Her eyeliner poured down her cheeks but neither of us cared.

"I have to talk to him." I announced before turning on my heel and starting down the hallway.

I made my way through the thin crowd of students. I headed towards the Cafeteria, immediately looking at the back corner. I was right, there sat Percy Jackson. He twirled his infamous pen and stared at the empty table in front of him.

I made my way over through the lunch hall and plopped in a seat right in front of Percy. His leg was propped up in a spare chair next to him. His black hood was up and the shadows prevented me from seeing his face clearly. He didn't look up at me, and instead just kept twirling his pen.

"Percy?" I asked.

He snapped out of whatever trance he was in and stared at me. When he lifted his head I could finally see his face. An ugly bruise decorated the right side of his face. His eyes were blood-shot and he looked so tired.

"Oh my-" I exclaimed. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine," he waved me off. "Walked into a pole."

"You walked into a pole?"

"I'm a clumsy person," he passed off.

I didn't want to pester him about it. Especially after what I just learned. I sighed and looked up at him. He looked sadder than ever. I knew I was going to regret this.

"Listen, Percy," I said. "I know that Thalia's your cousin."

He looked surprised at first, before relaxing his face with a wince. "Thalia told you, I'm guessing."

"How'd you know?"

"She sucks at keeping secrets. I'm surprised she's kept this one so long," he muttered, still twirling his pen.

"Oh," I said, shifting in my chair. "I also learned something else…"

He lowered his head, slugging his shoulders. It was almost as if he knew what I had meant. I sighed and ran my hand through a loose piece of hair that was hanging from my ponytail.

"I'm so sorry," I said. "No one deserves that."

He rubbed a hand over his eyes and looked back up at me. "I was there. I decided to bring him to school."

I sighed and toyed with a loose string off my jeans. This was really hard to take in and just hearing him say it broke my heart all the more. I looked up into his eyes and he looked into mine.

I scooted my chair over to his left side and I rubbed my hand up and down his back. At first, Percy tensed, slightly backing up. However, when I kept rubbing his back, he relaxed. He didn't look at me, but instead kept staring at the table in front of him. I leaned his head into my shoulder and felt him shudder.

I could tell people were staring at us but I didn't care. I felt terrible. I'd hate to admit it, but I was pretty popular at Goode. I knew everyone and I at least have talked to them once. But I never even heard of Percy. I think it's because of Thalia. She obviously didn't want any one to know about her connection with Percy. She must've made me avoid him on purpose.

I looked back at Percy when I felt his body slightly tremble. When a wetness met my neck I realized he was crying. My heart officially shattered. I wanted to mentally scold myself for caring so much about someone I pretty much just met. But how could I ignore this? He just lost his brother and not to mention he was shot!

I continued to rub circles in his back as he silently cried. I looked over to the other side of the cafeteria and saw Thalia, Jason, and our other friend Rachel staring at us. Thalia looked away as soon as our eyes met. I glanced at Jason before looking back to Percy.

His muscles tensed, as if he was alarmed by something. Percy pushed away from me lightly, checking his watch. His face paled tremendously and he went to stand up.

"What's wrong?" I insisted, going to stand up too.

He just ignored me, wiping his cheek furiously. He straightened up, getting his leg of the chair and turning to leave. I scrambled after him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Percy flinched backwards slightly, scared of my touch. I sighed, looking up at him with sympathy.

He shrugged my hand off his shoulder and kept walking towards the double doors.

"Percy! Percy, wait." I called after him.

He didn't turn around but he did stop and mutter, "Don't tell anybody."

I was frozen in my tracks. The temperature seemed to drop and I was left there, staring like an idiot. My eyes began to burn and I realized that I wasn't blinking. Percy had limped out of the cafeteria and no one seemed fazed by his exit. I sighed and debated wether I should follow him. I was forced not to when people started calling my over to the table where Jason and Thalia were.

I grabbed my lunch and went over there, forgetting about Percy's untouched tray. I sat down across from Jason and Thalia, next to Rachel.

"What happened?" Jason questioned.

"He-" I paused. Then, I remembered what Percy had said before he left. _Don't tell anybody…_

I cleared my throat and shook my head. "Nothing… He had to go," I muttered.

Jason seemed to accept it, to my relief. I glanced at Thalia who had earbuds in her ears. Her head bobbed to the beat of the music and I could tell she was listening to Green Day. I sighed and picked at my salad. I wasn't really a fan of salad but my step-mom insisted that I ate healthy. Part of my just wanted to jump in a basin of cotton candy. Anything to get my mind off of Percy Jackson. I didn't want to think about him, or what he had been through… Or did I?

Lunch ended and the rest of the day seemed to drag. Jason, Thalia and I continued our stupid conversations and debates during class and we walked home together. Their house was before mine so after they went home, I was left by myself.

It wasn't too long of a walk but it seemed like forever. Now that I didn't have Thalia and Jason to distract me, my mind trailed to Percy Jackson.

His perfect jaw line and perfectly tanned skin made me just want to eat him. His deep sea green eyes made him look so young and innocent. Other than haunted scarred glow they had to them, he was stunning. The floppy mop of black hair was breathtaking.

He looked thinner, however, than most boys his age. I could never truly tell, thanks to the huge hoodies he wore. The nasty bruise looked relatively new, too. I sighed, reaching my front of my house.

The house was relatively big with its white exterior and shingled roof. The front doors were like church doors, wide and fancy. It rested near the beach and we could walk there in like five minutes from my backyard.

The whole back of the house was technically all glass, overlooking the rough New York coast. I was pretty rich, my dad being an engineer for NASA. However, he did travel a lot, so I didn't get to see him for a long period of time.

Anyway, when I entered my house, I deposited my shoes on the floor. My step-mom called out for me but I ignored her and went straight to my room. Her offer for an after-school snack were tempting but I decided to just pass it.

I slammed my bedroom door behind myself and sprawled out on my bed. My walls were a grassy green and my carpet was white. I never was allowed to bring food or drink upstairs in case I spilled anything but I was sure to keep a stash stowed away. A tall mahogany dresser stood in my corner with a full mirror on it.

My bed was tucked in the back-middle of my room and a window over looked the top of it. I glanced out and looked at the calming sea. I saw a figure in all black sauntering across it. He or She wasn't with anybody and their head was hung. I shrugged it off and dug into my backpack. I gasped when I pulled out a notebook. Percy's notebook.

I promised myself that I wouldn't look in it but I had forgotten to give it back. Now it was here, sitting on my duvet. The spine of the notebook was abused and tattered but the comp book was still in tact. Scribbles were on the front of it and I read them, _Property of Percy Jackson_.

I sighed and picked it back up. Around the cover were random sections of sea creatures of random people. A small sketch of a tree was tucked in the corner of the cover and the leaves were all shaped like hearts. It was a really good drawing.

Disappointed in myself, I flipped to the first page and began to read.

**Done! Sorry it took me a while to get up and thank you all for the reviews! :) It means a lot! Let me know what ya'll thought and I'll update as soon as I can. **

**A/N- I noticed some major typos in Chapter One so I fixed those, BTW. **


	4. Not a Home

**When December Ends **

**4 **

**Disclaimer- I don't own PJO**

**A/N- This is a tribute to the Sandy Hook tragedy that happened on December 14th. I don't take this event lightly or any school shooting. This is a dedication for my friend whose cousin was in Sandy Hook at the time. (Warning- This chapter contains abuse!) **

_Percy's P.O.V _

I was walking down the busy street. I didn't care to notice all the yells and commotion. Everything around me was dulled. I didn't want to feel anything. I wanted everything to just stop. I wanted the entire universe to delete itself.

Tyson was gone. _My_ Tyson. He was my pride and joy. I vowed to always protect him when Gabe started lashing out. I broke my vow. I broke my promise. Sally, my mother, had been working two jobs. At one point, three. I basically had to raise Tyson by myself.

I didn't mind though. Tyson was an easy child. Never really threw tantrums… He never grew fussy or cried. I was five when Tyson was born. He was 10 when he died.

Now I was 15. I lost Tyson two weeks ago and it was eating away at my heart. Mom was devastated. She was unable to take Tyson to school so I did it, not minding if I was late. Tyson was adorable, dressed in his school slacks and a cute vest. His blue eyes were staring up at me with a huge smile and he begged me to walk with him to his class.

That's when everything went down hill. Just thinking about it brings me to hysterics. My whole like was crumbling into a vortex of nothing.

I didn't even realize when I was in front of my apartment complex. It was a rough part of town and the building was run-down. My mom worked two jobs every day trying to keep us living her and now the rent laid on Gabe's shoulders. Of course, Gabe being Gabe, it then laid on my shoulders.

A nearby cafe called Aaron's Cafe had hired me four months ago. I got time off after the shooting. The boss, Aaron, let me have the next two weeks off.

I entered the apartment building. Taking the stairs, since the elevator was out of order, I got to floor three. I scurried to apartment C-13. Gabe was always angry when I was late and especially on Monday because he always has poker games on Mondays.

I opened the door with the rusted hinges and my breath left me. Gabe, Ross, Jonas, and Frank were sitting around a table. Chips and cards were scattered across the table. I didn't understand. I checked the clock on the wall and I saw that the time was 3:59.

Gabe always had his poker games at 4:30. It was never later or earlier, except for now. I stood there in the door way. The sadness and despair left me and instead was replaced with fear. Their heads turned to me and I tensed.

"Well, Well, Well," Gabe taunted, laying down his hand on cards. "Guess the delinquent finally decided to come home."

"You're early." I choked out through my clenched jaw.

"Doesn't matter, punk," he snarled, getting up. "You are to be home and locked in your…place, before my friends come over."

"Surprised you even have friends," I retorted. "Your stench could kill a horse."

I knew I was in for it but I wasn't going to just go down without a fight. Gabe shoved me against the wall. My vision blurred and I blinked the black dots out of my sight. He sneered right in my face and grabbed my hood.

"I'll be back," he assured his poker 'friends' and dragged me out of the room. His grip was iron around my sweatshirt and I struggled against him.

I flung my limbs in all different directions, hopping to hit Gabe. His iron like grip yanked me into the bathroom and he locked the door quickly. I pressed myself far against the wall, attempting to create a safe distance between us.

For a fat man, he was pretty limber. He kicked me in the gut and I slipped back, into the shower tub. My breathe left me as my stomach gurgled and ached. I had hit my head against the tiled wall and my head was begging for mercy.

He gripped my neck with his beefy hands, pressing off my air supply. I desperately clawed at his hands with one hand and tried hitting him with the other. My luck was cut short though when he pushed down even harder, causing me to gasp.

I was then using both hands. Trying to claw off the iron grip around my neck, I kicked Gabe where the sun doesn't shine. He groaned, immediately retracting his hands and moving him to his sensitive spot.

I scrambled up, getting out of the damp tub and using the shower curtain to pull myself up. Gabe, unluckily, quickly composed himself and threw a punch right at my nose. It was dead on. I heard a sickening crack and was certain that my nose was completely busted. I felt a warm and yet totally disturbing sensation trail down my face. I was bleeding, a lot.

Smelly Gabe gripped my shoulder, flinging my into the sink. My back hit against the glass medicine cabinet, causing glass to shatter. Large chunks of the thick glass was embedded in my back. The pain was blinding. My vision blurred and I felt hot, shameful tears fall down my face. The back of my hoodie was seeping with blood, practically sticking my to the floor.

After I had slid to the cold tile, Gabe proceeded to kick my gut. Crack after Crack after Crack. I could count at least three broken ribs. My stomach gasped and was pleading for a break. My whole body was being set on fire over and over again. I felt as if every bone was being fractured. My ribs kept cracking, eventually fully breaking. Black dots continued to flash before my eyes, trying to pull me into a blissful void of nothing. Gabe's kicks eventually stopped before he leaned by me, gripping my face in his hands.

I forced to stare into his worthless and sadistic eyes. Those drunken eyes. I shuddered, trying to back away from him, but I was too weak. His breath reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. I coughed, even with the immense protest from my ribs.

"Listen here you punk," he ordered. "You are to be home before my poker games, you are to not cry or whine or complain. You deserve everything you get. You know why? Because you are _worthless, a freak, a loser, no one will ever love you._"

He hissed in my ear before giving one last kick to my head. He trudged out of the room, wiping blood off his knuckles. I was left there, gasping for breath that was having difficulty coming. No doubt my ribs punctured a lung.

I was left on the ground, bleeding tremendously. I was left there, crying like a baby. Not for the abuse I just went through, not the hideous words Gabe had called me… The tears were for my brother. My brother who had to go through this with me. My brother which I'd never hold again.

I was left there…laying in my own blood that I knew I would have to clean up later. I was left there… Hoping I was dead. Soon, the pain numbed down after being consumed by darkness.

All hope was lost.

**Poor Percy! :( I know the chapter is short, but I wanted to give a small glimpse of Percy's home life. Annabeth is next, don't worry :3 thanks for reading and there will be an update soon!**

**Question Answer- I named my story 'When December Ends' because of the Green Day song 'Wake me up when September Ends'. It's kind of like Percy being saved by Annabeth and it'll all be alright 'When December Ends' because the shooting was in December. Yeah, it doesn't make sense, I know. **


	5. Famillar Face

**When December Ends **

**5**

**Disclaimer- I don't own PJO. **

I was furious. My dad was a doctor. He worked at the hospital just down the road from our house. Now, you're probably wondering why I was furious. Well, my dad always brags me to the hospital. He wants me to get volunteer hours in while working there part-time. I get paid out of my dad's check but it's barely anything.

He usually signs me up with the kids. By that, I mean ages 13-17 so basically teenagers. After school, my dad picked me up and immediately brought me to the hospital with him. Most of the hospital staff knew me.

Karen, the front desk clerk, usually just let me hang at her desk, playing on her laptop. She had fire red hair that reminded me of Rachel. She was petite always wore a pair of pink scrubs with her hair in a pony tail.

But today, my dad was in a meeting. He shoved a clipboard in my hand and pinned a volunteer badge on my shirt.

"Okay, Annabeth," he said, smoothing his thinning hair down. "You go through this list. They are stable enough for volunteer work. Follow all instructions on the additional sheets and if something bad happens, find someone immediately."

I listened half-heartily. He had given me the instructions a million times before. My dad had been making me volunteer for as long as I could remember. I always knew what dosage to give certain people. It almost became a sixth sense.

Now don't-get-me-wrong, I loved it. I would never let my dad know that but ever since I started, I became more interested in Medical stuff. I had learned so much from junior doctor seminars that my dad taught and made me attend.

I always made friends with me 'patients'. They were all in my general age group so it was easy to understand them. We could communicate more fluently and it was just a whole lot less awkward that any of the middle-aged doctors were.

One of my favorites was Asher. He was a 13 year old boy who accidentally ate a candle. Sounds funny, I know, but it seemed painful. Anyway, he was only in the hospital for three days but I literally left school just to see him. He was the cutest thing. He had a flop of dark brown hair that covered his eyes constantly. His chocolate eyes always had a twinkle in them.

After he left, I was upset. I didn't volunteer for a couple of weeks but finally, I got over it, knowing Asher was fine, and went back to it. I hadn't met anyone quite like Asher since.

I glanced down at my clipboard, looking at the first name. It was a girl named Isla and she was 17 years old. I checked her injury chart and turns out she has fractured legs. Both of them.

I walked down to the elevators and rode them up to the next floor. I went to Isla's room and chatted with her for a bit and gave her some standard pain meds. At first, she was a bit nasty. She kept commenting on how I was too naïve and young to be attending to her. However, she got over herself…a bit. She constantly flipped her golden hair, running a comb through it. Not the type of girl I particularly like.

I visited the next couple of patients numbly. They weren't much better than Isla, all being older than me. It kind of shocked me how many teens were in the hospital. Actually, it scared me. But luckily, the worst was Isla. The rest were there for high fevers, schedules surgeries for a sports related injury, or a tummy ache.

I finished the rest of the clipboard and went to Karen's desk. I plopped down the board onto her desk. On the papers, I had scribbled some notes on the person's condition. Here and there I would put a snarky comment like, _too irritable. _

Karen nodded, skimming over the clipboard and smiling at me. "Good job," she commented. "Your dad is still in his meeting, but there is one more patient you can tend to. He just came out of surgery."

"Okay," I said, semi-excited. "Can I have his clipboard?"

"I don't have it yet. They will give it to me once he starts coming to."

"When did he come in?" I asked.

"Last night. He was brought in by his neighbor, injured."

I nodded in response, waiting at her desk for this kid to wake up. The reason I was excited to tend to this patient was because I never got to tend to someone on the wacky gas before. It might sound rude or such, but I found it hilarious and I really wanted to see what this kid would say.

I also felt bad. I never had surgery but I can't imagine it's very fun. Plus, I don't think any teenagers should have surgery. Especially since it was for an injury.

This made me think about Percy. Percy Jackson. He wasn't at school today and it concerned me. I saved a seat for him in class but he never showed. I checked at lunch too. He didn't come. I was disappointed but also a bit relieved. I had read his journal.

It consisted of drawings, notes, and even some journal entries. Most of it was unfinished song lyrics. I came across a couple pages filled with a finished song. I realized that it was Green and White, the song he performed.

I felt my heart sink just thinking about him and I just hoped he was okay.

"Annabeth," Karen called and I snapped my attention towards her.

"Yeah, Karen?"

"Here is that clipboard," she said, handing it to me. "Room 604."

I nodded as she walked to her work colleague, rushing to the E.R. for some reason. I started walking and glanced down at the clipboard.

I gasped aloud, stumbling back and dropping the clipboard. My back rammed into something hard and I heard a loud 'Oof'

I turned around, already starting to blubber, "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!"

I was shocked when it was my dad. He looked happy and he helped me get fully onto my feet. He just smiled and waved off my pathetic apologies. His eye's trailed to the clipboard.

"New patient, huh?" He said as I bent down to pick it up.

"He's…He's…" I muttered, still in shock, fingers trembling.

He took the clipboard from me. "Percy Jackson? Do you know him?"

My heart froze over again, "Yea… He wasn't a school today… I need to go see him!" I yelled, scrambling away, grabbing the clipboard as I went.

I rushed to room 604 and carefully opened the door. I knew my dad was right behind me but I didn't care. I had to see him.

I gasped at the sight. He was half-asleep, an oxygen tube running under his nose and around his ears. His leg, the shot one, was in a new black cast. His bare wrists were wrapped heavily in gauze and his whole torso was wrapped too. The sheet only sat up to his waist line, revealing all his injured glory.

His hair was matted down to his head, small sections sticking out in all different directions. His nose had a small strip of medical tape horizontally over it, indicating a broken nose.

My heart stung. I slowly and carefully went over to his bedside and sat there, staring at him. He looked disoriented, eyes half open but not seeing. I guessed it was from the surgery. I glanced down at the clipboard and ran through his injuries.

_Injuries: _

_3 Broken Ribs_

_Small case of Internal Bleeding_

_Leg muscle ripped _

_47 Stiches in back_

_Punctured Lung_

_Broken Nose_

_Severe Blood Loss_

_Stiches in Wrists_

_Malnourishment _

_Dehydrated _

My heart broke, yet again. No fifteen year old should go through this. Let alone, Percy. The malnourished part scared me. Why was he not nourished enough?

To be honest, I barely knew him but he seemed so shy, nice, and haunted. I know for a fact that he didn't deserve any of this. I frantically searched for the incident.

_Reason For Injury: _

_Unknown; Person who brought had no knowledge. _

I held Percy's face with my hands. He flashed me a goofy smile through his daze and I sadly smiled at him. He crinkled his nose slightly, making him way more adorable. He didn't seem to recognize me at all and I was okay with that. As long as he was okay.

He puffed out a drowsy puff of air and his head rolled to the side, away from me. He lightly jerked his hand and relaxed. I took his hand in mind, rubbing small circles in his thin hand.

"Dad," I said, turning to him as he stood in the doorway. "How did this happen?"

"We don't know, sugar," He said. "A man brought him in at two in the morning. The boy was barely alive. He had lost so much blood."

I shuddered. "Who?"

"His name is Zeus. Zeus Grace."

**Short chapter, I know. I just wanted to update you guys. I have really big finals coming up so I won't be able to write as much. After that, during my Winter Break, I will write so much more. I promise :) Thanks for reading guys!**


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